Two Tough Guys - Bogart and Gabin

One of my favorite Humphrey Bogart stories is of the time in 1942, when Bogart matched the antics of an unnamed French Resistance fighter, who may or may not have been the French actor Jean Gabin, often referred to as "the French Bogart." His most famous film was 1937's "Pepe le Moko", in which he plays a French jewel thief hiding in the labyrinth of the Casbah in Algiers. The film was remade in the United States as "Algiers" in 1938 starring Charles Boyer. It was also Hedy Lamarr's first film.

Gabin joined General de Gaulle's Free French Forces and earned the Medaille Militaire and a Croix de Guerre for fighting with the Allies in North Africa. He was also part of the French force which fought to liberate Paris. In between he was in Hollywood making "Moontide" with Ida Lupino, Claude Raines and Thomas Mitchell in 1942, the time during which this story takes place.

The event took place at a Hollywood dinner party with Bogart, when the Frenchman approached Bogart and challenged him to "Do smething tough."

Bogart responded with, "You've got the wrong guy." The Frenchman retorted with, "I can eat glass." He then proceeded to eat his wine glass. Bogart applauded. The Frenchman then added, "I can also eat razor blades." Reaching into his pocket he produced two of them and put them in his mouth. After that he told Bogart, "If you cannot do that, let us match drinks."

Bogart, now on more familiar ground, proceeded to mix a concoction of brandy, Creme de Menthe, Scotch, Gin, Bourbon, Vermouth and Champagne. The two matched one another drink for drink.

At the conclusion of this contest the Frenchman said, "Well, I still do not think you are so tough. You cannot eat the glass." Bogart's response was a slurred, "Oh, I can so." He then proceeded to eat his own wine glass, beginning at the top and working his way down to the stem. Blood gushed from his mouth.

"Well", said the Frenchman, "I guess you are all right at that! We are both very tough men. Come, let us go and insult the women together. That takes real courage!"

I have run across this story several times, most notably in Joe Hyam's "Bogie: The Biography of Humphrey Bogart." That book was authorized by Lauren Bacall. Another book which relates the tale is "Tough Without a Gun" by Stefan Kanfer. Both are well written and contain good Source Notes.

Happy New Year's -"Knock On Wood" (1943)

Happy New Year’s to everybody! I watched “Casablanca” the other night. Dooley Wilson was in rare form singing “Knock on Wood” and it struck me that the song was appropriate for this New Year’s, with all of the challenges facing the world in the coming months. We could all use a little bit of luck in the days ahead.

More and more I find that each New Year brings only the hope that things will not get any worse than they already are. It feels like that scene in Eugene O’Neill’s play “The Long Voyage Home” when Thomas Mitchell, after being cautioned about the wartime “blackout”, cries out to the heavens, “Blackout, blackout! Is there to be no more light in the world?”

And that’s why I look to Dooley Wilson to give me some hope for the future. Whatever you’re doing today, take a little time out to knock on wood for the coming year. It can’t hurt, and it just might do some good…

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 Dinner at Maggiano's 

Dinner last night at Maggiano's with the woman I love, then home with a bottle of wine and an old musical. That's my idea of a good New Year's! Best to everyone of you from both of us!

"The Caine Mutiny" with Humphrey Bogart and Jose Ferrer (1954)

This is another one of my all-time favorite classic movies, and I have to wonder how the geniuses at Columbia Pictures ever let this one be re-released with Van Johnson’s name misspelled on the cover!  Seems as if someone should have caught that one…

“The Caine Mutiny” is the brilliant screen adaptation of Herman Wouk’s 1950 best seller of the same name. It is billed as a work of fiction, but the whole story is actually grounded in some truth. And that truth includes the fact that Admiral Halsey completely ignored all storm warnings which had been issued to the fleet, taking them into the heart of a typhoon which cost ships and lives at a time when we could least afford them. As a matter of fact, the Admiral was actually brought before a Naval Court of Inquiry concerning the matter. The full story can be found in the book “Halsey’s Typhoon”, which I reviewed here in October 2009 shortly after its release. 

The film takes place during the Second World War in the Pacific aboard a minesweeper named the Caine. The crew is tired and worn out from heavy operations in support of the continuous island hopping necessary to win the war against the Japanese. Their skipper is as tired of the war as his crew is, and is very happy to be relieved by a new captain, Commander Queeg, played by Humphrey Bogart.

The old skipper, Cmdr. DeVriess, ran a lax ship; he did very little by the book; allowing the crew to do its job with as little interference as possible. But the new Captain is a “by the books” man, with very little imagination of his own. He has seen long service in the North Atlantic and is clearly on the verge of mental collapse. The rule book, along with his own personal problems; which would today be labeled as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; have  conspired to leave him very little room, or patience, for anything which falls outside of the “norm”. Every shirt tail must be tucked in, and there are no acceptable explanations for any breach of the rules; no matter how insignificant. His efforts to immediately reform the crew only serve to make then resent him even further.

To complicate matters even more, the Captain’s three main officers, including his executive officer Lt. Maryk, played by Van Johnson; and his Operations Officer, Tom Keefer; played by Fred MacMurray; do little to advise him, contributing to the building drop in morale. When the crew finds itself lost in the typhoon, with the Captain seemingly incapable of making the simplest of decisions in order to save his ship from the storm, Lt. Maryk takes decisive action and relieves Captain Queeg of his command. His intentions are noble, but he has been misled by his Ops officer into thinking he has the legal authority to take command of the vessel.

When the storm is over, the ship is called into port for a Court Martial of the officers involved in the “mutiny” aboard the Caine. In one of the most exciting courtroom scenes on film, Lt. Maryk’s attorney, Lt. Barney Greenwald; played by Jose Ferrer; challenges the courts assertion that Captain Queeg is not mentally ill. Although the evidence points to cowardice on the part of the Captain, the defense maintains that “an officer in the United States Navy cannot possibly be a coward, and so the explanation must lie elsewhere.”

This is one of the most dramatic films about the pressures of life aboard a naval ship in wartime, and how they affect both those who are in command, as well as those who are serving beneath them.

For those with any lingering doubts, this film will dispel any notion you may have concerning whether; or not; Jose Ferrer is the father of actor Van Diesel. Mr. Ferrer’s role in this film; although short; is one of the most important ones. The screenwriters shortened his siliqouy a bit, taking out the part about the Germans wanting to turn his “grandmother into soap”, which was one of the most effective portions of the scene in which he confronts the mutineers with the reality of their crime after having won the case against them.

Fred MacMurray is wonderfully cynical as the would be author Ton Keefer, who plants the seeds of mutiny in Lt. Maryk’s head, and then does nothing to aid in his defense at trial. Mr. MacMurray would later shed his darker roles in films like “Double Indemnity” and “The Caine Mutiny” for lighter, more family friendly parts in Disney films such as “The Absent Minded Professor”, “ Flubber “ and “The Shaggy Dog”,  all of which led him to becoming type cast as the perennial father type, as evidenced in the television series “My Three Sons”, which aired for several seasons in the 1960’s.

Of special note is that future President Ford was a seaman serving aboard one of the ships caught in the real life typhoon depicted in this film. Also, look for Lee Marvin playing "Meatball", a crew member who later appears at the trial.

"8 Ball Bunny" with Bugs Bunny (1949)

Bugs Bunny takes on more than he can handle when he attempts to escort a lost Penguin to his home in the South Pole. Of course, it’s all a misunderstanding on the part of our floppy eared friend, but then again, that’s his charm, isn’t it?

Watch for the very funny cameos by Humphrey Bogart, a la “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, as the “fellow American” who shows up in the strangest of places, always asking for a handout. That is, until the day when Bugs turns the tables on him, and disposes of his responsibilities to the Penguin as well.

"The Maltese Falcon" with Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and Sidney Greenstreet (1941)

In 1530 the Grand Master Villiers de I'lsle Adam returned from his tour of Europe, during which he had persuaded Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to make a gift to him of the Maltese Islands, with one stipulation; that each year a falcon would be sent from the Island of Malta to the Viceroy of Spain, and that a mass be held in Charles honor by the Pope on All Saints Day.

From this simple historical fact Dashiell Hammett was able to create one of the most enduring mysteries of the 20th Century. Directed, with his trademark perfection, by John Huston, the movie version of Mr. Hammett's novel sails along without a hitch. And supported by Peter Lorre and Barton MacLane, Bogart shines as Sam Spade, the detective who blunders and bluffs his way to the truth behind the disappearance of the mysterious "black bird."

Being set in San Francisco of the late 1930's lends an air of nostalgia to the plot. The telephones, the cars, even the waterfront all serve as a wonderful backdrop to the story. Simply put, private detective Sam Spade, played by Bogart, has been having an affair with his partner's wife. When his partner; Miles Archer; is killed on a stakeout for a new and somewhat mysterious client, Brigid O'Shaughnessy, played by Mary Astor, all the clues point to Sam as the killer.

But as Sam digs further into the mystery he finds a group of characters who are all pursuing the rare statue of a falcon. That statue is thought to be the jewel encrusted falcon which was supposedly sent to the Viceroy of Spain, but never arrived.

Sidney Greenstreet, as Kasper Gutman, heads a rogue’s gallery of villains, each determined to recover the "black bird" for their own. Peter Lorre plays the part of Joel Cairo, a slightly effeminate fellow who has been involved with Mr. Gutman from the beginning, as they roam the world in search of their prize. Elisha Cook, Jr., plays the part of small time detective Wilmer Cook, who is a man with something to prove to himself. Unfortunately, he is way out of his league.

Ward Bond, as Detective Tom Polhaus; along with Barton MacLane as Lt. Detective Dundy; give it their all as they try to unlock the puzzle of just who the bad guys are. Staying one step ahead of them is Sam Spade as he spins the web that may make them all fabulously wealthy, or land them all in jail. Of particular note in this film is that it is Sydney Greenstreet's first film appearance. He was 62 years old at the time. Of course he went on to play the iconic owner of the Blue Parrot, opposite Bogart in the all-time classic "Casablanca." But when you watch him in this film, you just have to wonder, what took him so long to make it to the screen? Watch him in the clip below, in which he meets with Sam Spade for the first time to discuss the "black bird."

Keep an eye out for the uncredited appearance of Walter Huston as Captain Jacoby. He is director John Huston's father, and appeared in several of his films. He plays one of the prospectors in "Treasure of the Sierra Madre", also opposite Bogart. He was one of the finest actors of his time.

To view the original article about the Siege Of Malta, see my post from last year, concerning the Knights of Templar;
  
http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2011/05/siege-of-malta.html

And here is the scene in which Sam Spade meets Mr. Gutman for the first time;

"Carrot Blanca" with Bugs Bunny (1945)

This Warner Brothers cartoon from 1945 is a comedic send-up of the 1943 film "Casablanca". The plot is pretty much true to the movie, with a little bit of fun thrown in. With Bugs Bunny playing Rick; Daffy Duck as Sam the piano player; Tweety taking on the Peter Lorre role as Ugarte, and Sylvester Cat as Victor Lazlo, this is a very clever satire of the film. Even Dooley Wilson singing "Knock on Wood" is covered in this 8 minute cartoon.

Rounding out the cast of characters is Porky Pig as Signor Ferrari; the owner of Rick's rival cafe, The Blue Parrot; along with Pepe Le Pew as the suave Captain Renault. And, of course, Yosemite Sam plays Major Strasser, the Nazi in search of "stolen documents." It's amazing at how much of the movie is captured in this cartoon, which is actually featured with the bonus materials on the DVD of the original film.

There are many of these classic cartoon send-ups of some very famous movies. The studios, like Warners, who originally released the films, also owned the rights to them, and were determined to make every last buck off of them. Hence the cartoon versions. Amazingly, they are all equally good, and entertaining as well. Below is the trailer for the original film, just for a little comparison.

Hoagy Carmichael - "Hong Kong Blues"

This is a song which I have been singing since I was about 10 years old and saw Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in "To Have and Have Not", the brilliant re-write of Ernest Hemingway's very dry novel of the same name. As a matter of fact, the film came about only after an argument between Howard Hawks, the director, and Ernest Hemingway, while the two were on a fishing trip. Hawks opined that he could make a good film from Hemingway's worst novel. Hemingway offered up "To Have and Have Not", which was his least favorite. Hawks enlisted the aid of William Faulkner, and a bottle of bourbon, to write a new screenplay in about 1 night. This is the only time in film history in which a Nobel Prize winning author has worked on the script of another Nobel Prize winning author.

Hoagy Carmichael's musical inspiration was Bix Beiderbecke, a jazz musician who drank himself to death at age twenty-eight. They had been in a band together while in college; Carmichael had planned on a career in law; but the music of the times sidetracked him.

Hoagy Carmichael penned over 600 songs in his lifetime. Many of them are still performed today. "Georgia on My Mind", "Stardust", "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" and "Rocking Chair" all come to mind. Even George Harrison recorded "Hong Kong Blues", which is also known as "Buddha's Gong". Bob Dylan recorded it back in 1962, or thereabouts, as did Ramblin' Jack Elliott. Even I play it on my guitar. It's very simple, having only 3 chords to it. But the song is clearly a piano number, and so no-one has ever topped this version of it.

The band which Mr. Carmichael assembled for this number is mind boggling, with it's unusual array of musical instruments. There is a banjo, mandolin, the piano, drums and even a violin, all combining to make a most unusual, and pleasing sound. This type of musical ensemble was not that rare in the islands back in the early part of the 20th century, as ships from all nations came and went, carrying their own brand of music with them. Sometimes, these sailors, and musicians, deserted the ships, electing to remain in the islands, combining their separate talents, and cultures, to form new sounds. "Hong Kong Blues" is a perfect example.

Somewhat of an enigma, Carmichael was a dyed in the wool Republican, hated FDR and the New Deal, and blamed the President for the fact that he couldn't see over the dashboard of his Lincoln Continental, even though he was only slightly over 5 foot tall.

Hoagy Carmichael was a rural, midwestern boy, and so "right wing" that he once challenged Humphrey Bogart to a fistfight for his "leftist" views. In his autobiography "The Stardust Road", Carmichael writes of the times before smoking marijuana, which he called muggles, was illegal;

"It's the summer of 1923. We took two quarts of bathtub gin, a package of muggles, and headed for the black-and-tan joint where King Oliver's band was playing.

The King featured two trumpets, piano, a bass fiddle, and a clarinet. As I sat down to light my first muggle...taking the first chorus was that second trumpet, Louis Armstrong. Louis was taking it fast.

"Why," I moaned, "why isn't everybody in the world here to hear that?" I meant it. Something as unutterably stirring as that deserved to be heard by the world.

Then the muggles took effect and my body got light. Every note Louis hit was perfection. I ran to the piano and took the place of Louis's wife. They swung into Royal Garden Blues. I had never heard the tune before, but somehow I knew every note. I couldn't miss. I was floating in a strange deep-blue whirlpool of jazz."

The original lyrics for "Hong Kong Blues" had to be changed slightly for the movie. The expression "Buddha's Gong" referred to being addicted to opium. That line was okay, as most Americans were unfamiliar with the term. But the word "opium" would not survive, and so Hoagy sings "sweet local man" in it's place. Here are the lyrics to this wonderful song by a truly legendary American songwriter;

"Hong Kong Blues" by Hoagy Carmichael

It's the story of a very unfortunate coloured man
Who got arrested down in old Hong Kong.
He got twenty years' privilege taken away from him
When he kicked old Buddha's gong.

And now he's boppin' the piano just to raise the price
Of a ticket to the land of the free.
Well, he say his home's in 'Frisco, where they send the rice,
But it's really in Tennessee.

That's why he say,
"I need someone to love me,
Need somebody to carry me home to San Francisco
And bury my body there.

I need someone to lend me
a fifty-dollar billand then,
I'll leave Hong Kong far behind me,
For happiness once again.

Won't somebone believe
I've a yen, to see that Bay again.
But when I try to leave,
Sweet opium won't let me fly away.

I need someone to love me,
Need somebody to carry me home to San Francisco
And bury my body there."

That's the story of a very unfortunate coloured man,
Who got arrested down in old Hong Kong.
He got twenty years' privilege taken away from him,
When he kicked old Buddha's gong.

Earth Day and Humphrey Bogart

The Earth; it’s a beautiful place to be. It’s kind of unique; with just the right balance of gases and elements to support life; as we know it. So, take the time today to do one thing; one which you don't usually do; and recycle that soup can, or don't burn that pile of brush from the winter; compost it instead. If you have a yard, plant something and watch it grow.

It's like that scene in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre"(1948) when Walter Huston insists on returning the mountain, from which they have gained their treasure, to it's original state. Here is the dialogue between Walter Huston, Tim Holt and Humphrey Bogart;

Howard(Walter Huston): We've wounded this mountain. It's our duty to close her wounds. It's the least we can do to show our gratitude for all the wealth she's given us. If you guys don't want to help me, I'll do it alone.

Bob Curtin(Tim Holt): You talk about that mountain like it was a real woman.

Fred C. Dobbs(Humphrey Bogart): She's been a lot better to me than any woman I ever knew. Keep your shirt on, old-timer. Sure, I'll help ya.

Francois Villon - Written for a Bridegroom

One of my all time favorite films is "The Petrified Forest" with Humphrey Bogart and Leslie Howard. The scenes in which Leslie Howard trades his views on life, and love, with Bette Davis are the meat of the film. For years I have watched this movie time and again, always awed by the scene in which Bette Davis reads Francois Villon's "Ballad for a Bridegroom." It's a beautiful poem, one that speaks of true love and the protections and responsibilities that come with it. It is, I believe, one of the most beautiful sentiments ever put to pen.

This woodcarving is one of Villon done in the mid 15th century, upon the publication of one his books of poetry. Here is the translation from the French by the English poet and author Algernon Charles Swinburne.

"Ballad Written For A Bridegroom" by Francois Villon
(translated by Algernon Charles Swinburne)

At daybreak, when the falcon claps his wings,
No whit for grief, but noble heart and high,
With loud glad noise he stirs himself and springs,
And takes his meat and toward his lure draws nigh;
Such good I wish you! Yea, and heartily
I am fired with hope of true love's meed to get;
Know that Love writes it in his book; for why,
This is the end for which we twain are met.

Mine own heart's lady with no gainsayings
You shall be always wholly till I die;
And in my fight against all bitter things
Sweet laurel with fresh rose its force shall try;
Seeing reason wills not that I cast love by
(Nor here with reason shall I chide or fret)
Nor cease to serve, but serve more constantly;
This is the end for which we twain are met.

And, which is more, when grief about me clings
Through Fortune's fit or fume of jealousy,
Your sweet kind eye beats down her threatenings
As wind doth smoke; such power sits in your eye.
Thus in your field my seed of harvestry
Thrives, for the fruit is like me that I set;
God bids me tend it with good husbandry;
This is the end for which we twain are met.

Princess, give ear to this my summary;
That heart of mine your heart's love should forget
Shall never be: like trust in you put I:
This is the end for which we twain are met.

"Angels With Dirty Faces" with James Cagney, Pat O'Brien and Humphrey Bogart

This is one of the all time great gangster films. The incredible screen chemistry of James Cagney and Pat O'Brien (two very close friends in real life) along with the rough edged performance of Humphrey Bogart, make this film worth watching time and again. And there is always something new to be noticed with each viewing.

Briefly, the story concerns 2 young boys in the slums of New York during the 1920's. They go to church together, even sing in the choir. But outside of church they are caught up in the petty thefts that are necessary to survive. When Rocky Sullivan (played by Cagney) and the future Father Connolly (played by O'Brien) are caught breaking into a freight car to steal a load of fountain pens, Rocky goes to Juvenile Hall, while the future priest manages to escape. This single event sets the stage for both of their futures.

Rocky goes to reform school, where he gets a real "education" in the ways of crime. His pal goes on to become a Priest, serving in the parish where they both grew up. Rocky, has, by this time, embarked upon a life of crime that has him in and out of prison. He becomes a "name" in the daily papers. The neighborhood kids, where Rocky and Father Connolly grew up, see him as the guy who "made it big." This makes Father Connolly's job, trying to teach the kids moral values, that much harder to accomplish.

When Rocky returns to the neighborhood to live, he repeatedly offers the greeting "Whaddaya hear, whaddaya say?" to Father Connolly. In real life Cagney picked this phrase up from a bookie who hung around 1st Avenue when he was growing up.

The kids, Leo Gorcey and the rest of the "Bowery Boys", aka "The Dead End Kids", now give up on the church, turning instead to the pool room for their education. Their new found freind, Rocky, has stolen Father Connolly's "flock." Father Connolly asks Rocky to stop inspiring the boys, and finally lets him know that freindship is no longer a barrier in his quest to clean up the crime and corruption that plagues the city. Rocky agrees, thinking that "nothing will ever come of it."

Knowing that Father Connolly has been trying to build a gym for the boys, Rocky donates $10,000 anonymously to the fund, only to have Father Connolly return it as being unworthy. Interestingly, this $10,000 represents one tenth of the $100,000 which Rocky has extorted from Bogart. In other words, he was tithing 10% of his take to the church.

When the crime commission, at the direction of his pal Father Connolly, indicts Rocky, a contract is issued on the life of Father Connolly. But loyalty between friends runs deep, and Cagney cancels the contract in a very permanent way. Wanted now for murder, he is a fugitive caught in a web of his own design.

The warehouse scene, where Rocky is finally apprehended, is a movie legend of sorts. When the police are firing those Thompson machine guns at the window where "Rocky" is standing, the bullets are real. You can actually see the shattered glass shards on Cagney's hat and shoulders. According to Cagney, the shots were so close that this was the last time he would consent to live fire sequences in any of his films.

Rocky is captured, tried and sentenced to death in the electric chair. This leads to one of the all time greatest of movie endings. Father Connolly comes to see Rocky just before the execution, asking him to fake cowardice on the way to the chair. Only in this way can he make the boys understand the false bravado of criminals and that crime never really pays. Cagney is incredulous at this request and refuses his old friend, stating, "You're asking me to give up the last thing I got left!"

When the Warden comes with the guards to escort Rocky to the death chamber, Father Connolly walks alongside of him and pleads one last time for Rocky to "turn yellow." Rocky still refuses and stoically enters the last room he will ever see in this world. This is the payoff scene. Silhouetted against the wall, the viewer sees Rocky grasping at the radiator, the legs of the guards, in short, at anything that he can, while screaming "Please, I don't want to die!" Sobbing and struggling he is strapped into the electric chair. The switch is closed and the lights dim. Rocky is dead.

Father Connolly returns to the neighborhood, where he finds the boys in the cellar which they use as a clubhouse. They are reading the newspaper account of Rocky's death and refuse to believe that he died "yellow." Father Connolly, although doubting that Rocky had really turned "yellow" at the last minute, tells the boys it's true. He then asks them to come with him to the church and "say a prayer for a boy that couldn't run as fast as I could." The movie closes leaving the viewer to decide whether Rocky was faking his cowardice as a favor for Father Connolly, or if he really did turn "yellow."

This film was nominated for 3 Oscars and garnered Cagney the New York Film Critics Award as Best Actor for 1938. Seventy two years after the fact, this film remains relevant and inspiring. The clothes are different, and the cars are old, but the social problems outlined in the film are still with us. And that's what makes this film so worth watching.

"The Petrified Forest" with Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart

Before Humphrey Bogart became typecast as, well, Humphrey Bogart, he worked as an actor on Broadway. And he was good. In 1935 he was in a play, "The Petrified Forest", acting opposite Leslie Howard, who would go on to be forever immortalized as Ashley Wilkes in "Gone With the Wind." The play concerned a ruthless gangster named Duke Mantee, played by Bogart. After escaping from prison with 3 other fugitives they head for the Mexican border. When a sandstorm strands them, they wait and hijack the first car that comes along. They then seek shelter in an out of the way cafe owned by an old man, played by Charlie Grapewin, and his son,played by Porter Hall, along with the old man's grandaughter, Gabrielle, played with perfect innocence by Bette Davis. When an idle dreamer wanders into the cafe, Leslie Howard's role, the dynamics of all three parties are changed as each of the characters attempt to assert themselves, and the things in which they believe. When the former occupants of the stolen car arrive, the circle is closed and the tension mounts.

This movie might not have been made were it not for the generosity and fellowship of Leslie Howard for his friend, and acting partner, Humphrey Bogart. In late 1934 Robert Sherwood was casting for the play of a book called "The Petrified Forest." He had seen Bogart earlier that year in "Invitation to a Murder" and decided that he would be perfect in the role of Duke Mantee. Bogart got the part and the show opened on January 7th, 1935 to rave reviews for Leslie Howard. Bogart was not even named along with the cast in the Herald Tribune.

The show was a hit and Warner Brother's studios bought the book, intending to make it into a movie. Leslie Howard had already promised Bogart that if a movie were made from the play, Bogart would have his original part. But this was not his promise to make.

When Bogart got word that warner's had bought the book, and that he was only to be "optioned" for the role of Duke Mantee, he sent a cable to Scotland, where Leslie Howard was on vacation. Leslie Howard shot a telegram to Warner's that stated either Bogart was in, or Howard was out. Bogart got a $400 per week contract and the role as Duke Mantee. The rest, is of course, history.

The movie itself is a real gem. Over-emoted in places, this is a real old fashioned melodrama, where each character has a deeper meaning. Duke is Evil, but with his own sense of honor. Gabrielle is Innocence, and she falls for Leslie Howard's Dreamer with his ever questioning cyniscm, walking across the country, on his way to the Pacific "to drown, perhaps." The old man represents Memory, and he clearly rejoices in Duke's living outside the law. His son represents the old ways, the way things have always been and should be, with no room for change. The banker, his wife and chauffer are the Establishment, thinking only of money and looking to buy their way out of any situation they are in.

But the real star in this finely written and directed movie, is love. Leslie Howard loves Gabrielle so much that he strikes a deal with Duke. He wants to be shot as Duke leaves, after all Duke is already on death row, so what can they do to him? In turn, he has signed his life insurance over to Gabrielle, so that she can leave the desert and pursue her dream of living in France to become a writer. I told you this was a melodrama...

The interaction between the black chauffer,Joseph, played by John Alexander and his counterpart in Duke's right hand man, Slim, played by Slim Thompson, is a visual lesson in "lean freedom versus fat slavery."

This is one of my all time favorite films. I used to watch it on PBS on Saturday nights when they ran classic films. Classic films have now become the province of AMC and TCM, where there are always classic films playing. And I enjoy them all. But somehow I find myself missing those late Saturday night viewings. They seemed so special when you had to wait.